Pioneering scheme in North East offers hope to stroke victims

A new research programme launched in the region is using robot assisted training to help stroke patients regain movement

Becky Watson, physiotherapy assistant, with patient Tom Means using the stroke rehabilitation robot at North Tyneside General Hospital as part of the major new national research programme (Photo: www.crestphotography.co.uk)

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Stoke victims in the North East are using robots to help regain use of their arms.

Specialists at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle University are taking part in a programme to use pioneering ‘rehabilitation robots’ to help stroke sufferers.

The person who has had a stroke sits at a table facing a computer screen and places their arm onto the robotic device. The therapist then asks the patient to undertake some arm exercises such as moving between targets on the computer screen.

If the person is unable to move their arm, then the robot moves the patient’s limb for them.

If the patient starts to move, the robot provides adjustable levels of assistance to help out, all of which helps the brain and arm to learn to work together again.

The self-employed electrician had a stroke in March and spent around two months in hospital. Now back at home, he continues to receive physiotherapy twice a week.

After only a few sessions into the 12-week programme, he is already seeing improvements in his arm and shoulder.

Tom, 61, said: “When you’ve had a stroke, every bit of exercise and movement you can do is a big help. Using the robot alongside my other exercises is ideal for me and what’s great about the robot is that it also helps my hand-eye co-ordination.

“I’ve only had a few sessions so far, however I’ve really felt the difference in my arm as I’ve got a lot more movement and much more strength. I’m under no illusions that it’s going to be a lot of hard work but it’s all worthwhile because I know it’s going to make me better.”

North Tyneside General Hospital is one of 16 stroke services to take part in the five-year clinical trial and is one of the first in the country to house the new robot. The rehabilitation equipment is from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in America after investing more than £250,000.

A total of £3m has been given to the scheme by the National Institute for Health Research and a clinical trial in America has already shown that robot-assisted training may improve upper limb recovery.

Helen Rodgers, professor of stroke care at the institute for ageing and health at Newcastle University and Consultant Stroke Physician at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is leading the research.

She said: “Announcing the start of this clinical trial is a really exciting step forward for stroke rehabilitation research in the UK. We have been looking at the research undertaken in the USA and we are working closely with colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to see if robot assisted training is an effective treatment.

“If shown to be effective, robot assisted training has the potential to change how we provide NHS rehabilitation for people with arm weakness due to stroke.”

Researchers from Newcastle University will work in collaboration with teams from the Universities of Glasgow, East London and Cambridge, as well as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and NHS stroke teams.

Dr Hermano Igo Krebs, principal research scientist and lecturer at MIT, has pioneered the robot technology. He said: “The robotic technology we have developed at MIT is already helping many stroke patients and people with other neurological conditions in the US. The whole concept is revolutionising the practice of rehabilitation medicine by applying robotics that can assist and enhance recovery.

“Our focus is on helping clinicians to facilitate a functional recovery for their patients by using intensive and highly interactive robotic therapy to help people achieve their absolute optimum movement.

“By using robotics not only do we get a greater understanding of the neuro recovery process, but we can also build a rich stream of data that assists in ongoing patient diagnosis and customisation of the therapy.”